Gloss - Manchester Hop & Grape - 23.3.01

There is hope and it comes in the form of Gloss. They live the pop dream to the max and there's not a sour face in the house. You see for too long pop music have come to mean a few dancing girls and boys carefully manufactured to series of old men's wet dreams. Its come to the point where the pop standards have been lowered to the level of Readers Wives. Just look at Hear'say who, with the exception of Noel, look so ordinary even there parents would have trouble recognizing them in a crowd. I find myself longing for the days when the ugly one had talent because if anyone can spot the talent with Danny Hear'say then I'll get my coat now.

First let me introduce Gloss. Sexy Gloss (Vocals), Hair Gloss (Drums), Smaller Gloss (Guitars), Norwegian Gloss (Keyboards) and for want of a better name Scouse Gloss (Bass). After blowing Soulwax away on the last tour tonight they well and truly pounded Gay Dad into the ground. Maybe its nostalgia thing or maybe its just the fact that they play classic songs like "Lonely In Paris" and "Don't You Recognize" but they really do have that special X-Factor. The factor that makes you phone your best friend screaming "I've just seen the best band of my life".

They take me back to a time when Echobelly were my world and females inherited the earth. But its almost too much to call them another female fronted band, they deserve more than that. They write the sort of songs that people fall in love with. The sort of songs that can cheer you up on the darkest of days. But most important of all Gloss are a pop band and it can't be long before they escape the poxy toilet circuit to a world of Number 1's and An Audience with ..... the world.

At the moment they're pissing on every indie band they support. It can't be long before they do the same to the likes of Atomic Kitten, Robbie Williams and the Sugababes.

Alex McCann